Smoking pipe filter plate



July 16, 1968 P. J. GLEICH ETAL SMOKING PIPE FILTER PLATE Filed Dec. 9, 1965 I /flNVENTOIfS United States Patent 3,392,736 SMOKING PIPE FILTER PLATE Philip J. Gleich, 335 Sheldon Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43207, and Theodore H. Allegri, Pullen Drive, Crownsville, Md. 21032 Filed Dec. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 513,673

. 3 Claims.,(Cl. 131183) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A smoking pipe in which a valve plate is removably supported in the pipe bowl with the valve plate having a plurality of apertures therein. A lifting bar is detachably secured to the plate and adapted to lift the plate from bowl and also clean the apertures in the plate.

Disclosure The principal object of this invention is to provide a means for permitting air to circulate around the tobacco of pipe bowl in such a manner that the burning tobacco is completely oxidized and reduced to ashes. Ordinarily, when tobacco is placed in a pipe bowl it is tamped down into the bowl by means of the smokers fingers so that the tobacco not only makes contact with the sides of the bowl, but also with the bottom.

Spittle running down the pipe stem often causes the tobacco in the bottom of the bowl to become soggy and this tobacco is seldom, if ever, totally consumed or reduced to ashes. Eventually, by dint of several relightings of the pipe using many matches, or a fluid-type lighter, a persevering smoker may obtain more, or less, complete combustion of this residual tobacco, however the results are never too satisfactory since the bottom of the pipe bowl itself becomes very hot and uncomfortable to the touch, as well as increasing the acridity and sharpness of the smoking quality, and destroying some of the tobacco flavor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a layer of air beneath the burning tobacco in such a manner that a cooler smoke is obtained since, by providing a plenum chamber effect there is a relatively large air and smoke mixing area introduced into the pipe bowl between the burning tobacco and the pipe stem entrance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for removing residual ash. A pipe smoker using a conventional pipe would ordinarily have to turn the pipe bowl upside down and tap the bowl on some firm object, or the palm of his hand in order to remove the ashes and the unburned tobacco. Another method would be to use a pipe-bowl scraper to remove ashes from the bowl. In this invention, a lifting bar is provided which is connected to a flow valve plate with the valve plate normally supporting the tobacco in the pipe bowl and permitting the tobacco ashes to be removed simply by lifting the whole device from its position inside the pipe bowl.

A further object is to provide a means for cleaning the flow valve plate. This is accomplished by detaching the lifting bar from the valve plate and using the end of the bar to pick out tobacco crumbs, ashes, or caked ashes that may occasionally plug up one or more of the valve holes in the valve plate.

More specifically, this invention contemplates the provision of an insert for a pipe in which the insert comprises a substantially circular plate member adapted to be inserted in the pipe bowl. The insert plate includes a plurality of spaced apart apertures therethrough and includes a central raised portion having a generally horizontally extending aperture therein. A lifting bar having an arm adapted to slidably fit within the horizontal aperture is provided with a vertically disposed leg of the bar adapted 3,392,736 Patented July 16, 1968 to extend above the tobacco which may be burned in the bowl whereby the bar may be used to lift the plate to eject the burned material from the bowl and whereby the arm of thebar may be moved from the plate and used to clean the apertures in the plate.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection wit-h the accompanying drawings, wherein we have shown the preferred form in which. we have contemplated to apply the principles of the invention.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts,

FIGURE 1 represents a cross-sectional elevational view showing a typical pipe, bowl and stem arrangement in which a pipe smoking valve flow plate has been placed.

FIGURE 2 represents a perspective plan view of the flow valve plate showing the disposition of the valve holes and the lifting bar hole in the circular raised portion of the flow valve plate.

FIGURE 3 represents a side elevational view of the lifting bar and the lifting bar knob.

FIGURE 4 represents a cross-sectional elevational view of a pipe bowl, taken along line 44 of FIG. 1, showing a side elevational sectional view of the flow valve plate, a side elevational view of the plate lifting bar and the lifting bar knob.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first particularly to FIG. 1, in this cross-sectional elevational view is shown a typical pipe 10 with a flow valve plate or insert I placed in the bowl 6 of the pipe 10. The flow valve plate 1 rests above the bowl bottom 7; and, the flow valve plate 1 divides the bowl 6 into a tobacco burning area 12 and a plenum chamber 11.

In using the product of this invention, consisting of the above combination of flow v-alve plate 1 and plate lifting bar 3, it is necessary to place the assembly into the empty pipe bowl 6 as shown in FIG. 1 with the periphery of the valve plate 1 engaging the interior surface of the pipe bowl above the bottom of the bowl. Tobacco .is then placed into the tobacco burning area 12 in the conventional manner.

When the pipe smoker sucks air from the pipe stem 8 after first lighting the pipe 10, a draft is created thereby causing the tobacco in the tobacco burning area 12 to burn freely; the smoke of the burning tobacco passes through the valve holes 2 into the plenum chamber 11, and thereby through the bowl bottom 7 into the pipe stem 8 and thus into the smokers mouth.

FIGURE 2 shows the flow valve plate 1 and the disposition of the multiplicity of equally-spaced valve holes or apertures 2 in the fiat, horizontal plane of the flow valve plate 1. There is, also, a circular raised portion 14 in a plane parallel to the flow valve plate face 15. This circular raised portion 14 contains a lifting bar hole or aperture 4 through which the lifting bar end 13 is passed. The plate lifting bar 3 shown in FIG. 3 is free to turn in the lifting bar hole 4, and it is, also, possible to slide the plate lifting bar 3 in and out of the lifting bar hole 4 for the purpose of adjusting the plate lifting bar 3 and the lifting bar knob 5 to a special relationship with the sides of the pipe bowl 6, shown in FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 shows the plate lifting bar 3 with its lifting bar knob 5 for the purpose of making it easier to grasp with the fingers, and because of its mass provides a means for dissipating the heat contained therein since the exteri-or lifting bar knob 5 is connected to the plate lifting bar 3 which serves as a conductor from the interior heat of the pipe bowl 6, shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting bar knob 5 is used in inserting and removing the complete assembly of the combination of flow valve plate 1 and plate lifting bar 3, from the pipe bowl 6.

The lifting bar end 13 besides being inserted in the fiow valve plate 1 of FIG. 2, through the lifting bar hole 4 of FIG. 2, has another function and that is, if the valve holes 2, shown in FIG. 2, become clogged, or filled with tobacco ash or other residual by-products of the burning tobacco, the lifting bar end 13 may be used by the smoker to unplug'the valve holes 2. This is accomplished by removing the assembly from the pipe bowl 6 and sliding the lifting bar end 13, of FIG. 3, from the lifting bar hole 4, of FIG. 2, and inserting the lifting bar end 13 through the valve holes 2. Thus, it is apparent that at least a portion of the lifting bar end 13,must be so dimensioned that it may be inserted through the apertures 2.

In FIG. 4 the flow valve plate 1 has been inserted in the pipe bowl 6 and rests against the sides of the bowl 6, producing on one side the tobacco burning area 12. Since the flow valve plate 1 separates the tobacco from the bowl bottom 7 it is clearly seen that a plenum chamber 11 has been accomplished, through which smoke passes from the tobacco burning area 12 through the valve holes 2 into the stem entrance hole 9 and from thence to the pipe stem 8 of FIG. 1. The pipe stem entrance hole 9 is kept free and clear of tobacco that would ordinarily be resting over the stem entrance hole 9 were it not for the plenum chamber 11 being formed through the use of the flow valve plate 1 of this invention. FIG. 4, also, illustrates the relationship of the circular raised portion 14 to the flow valve plate face 15 and the lifting bar hole 4.

The plate lifting bar 3 is shown in its customarily upright position in the pipe 10 bowl 6 with the lifting bar knob extending above the bowl 6, illustrating the ease with which the lifting bar knob 5 may be grasped by the smokers fingers.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. An insert for a tobacco pipe bowl, said insert including a plate member adapted to be supported in a generally horizontal position by contact between peripheral portions thereof and the internal surface of the lower portion of said bowl, said plate having angularly spaced smoke passing apertures formed therein, said plate having a central raised portion with an aperture formed in said raised portion, the aperture in said raised portion having an axis substantially parallel to the plane of said plate, a lifting bar having a first leg adapted to slidably and rotata'bly fit within said aperture in said central portion and a second leg adapted to extend above the tobacco which may be burned in said bowl, at least a portion of one end of said lifting bar having a dimension which does not exceed the dimension of said apertures in said plate whereby said lifting bar may be used to lift said plate to eject 4 burned material from said bowl and whereby the arm of said bar may be removed from the plate and said portion of said bar used to clean said smoke passing apertures when the plate is removed from the pipe bowl.

2. An insert for a vertically disposed tobacco pipe bowl, said insert including a plate member adapted to be supported in a generally horizontal position by contact be.- tween peripheral portions thereof and theinternal' surface of the lower portion of said bowl, said plate having angularly spaced smoke passing apertures adjacent the periphery of said plate,- said plate having a central raised portion formed thereon, said raised portion having an aperture formed therein of a dimension which does not exceed the dimension of said smoke passing apertures and a lifting ba-r having a first leg adapted to fit within said aperture of said raised portion and having a second leg adapted to extend above tobacco which may be burned in said bowl whereby said bar may be used to lift said plate to eject burned material from said bowl and whereby the arm of said bar may be detached from the plate and used to clean said smoke passing apertures when the plate is removed from the pipe bowl.

3. An insert for a vertically disposed tobacco pipe bowl, said insert including a circular plate member adapted to be supported in a horizontal position by contact between peripheral portions thereof and the internal surface of the lower portion of said bowl, said plate having angularly spaced smoke passing apertures adjacent the periphery of said plate, said plate having a central circular raised portion having a diameter less than the diameter of a circle including said angularly spaced apertures and having a height which is greater than diameter of the same, said raised portion having an aperture passing horizontally therethr-oug-h of substantially the same size as said smoke passing apertures, and an L-shaped lifting bar having a horizontal arm adapted to fit within said horizontal aperture and having a length substantially greater than the diameter of said raised portion, and having a vertically disposed leg adapted to extend above tobacco which may be burned in said bowl whereby, said arm may be used to lift said plate to eject burned material from said bowl and whereby the arm of said bar may be removed from the plate and used to clean said smoke passing apertures when the plate is remove-d from the pipe bowl.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 797,178 8/1905 Couch 131-183 1,651,790 12/1927 Veress 131183 1,656,086 1/1928 Swan 131-483 FOREIGN PATENTS 100,922 7/1916 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner. 

